WEST PLAINS QUILL BUSINESS OF THE MONTHSCHIERLING CHIROPRACTIC, LLC

Schierling Chiropractic, LLC is the Mtn. View Chamber of Commerce Business of the Month. It is a full-service chiropractic clinic, the practice of Russell Schierling, D.C., who focuses on helping with chronic conditions. He does spinal decompression therapy and “everything related to regular chiropractic. I also do a lot of nutritional consulting. I like to help educate people how a few changes can make a huge difference in how you feel,” said Schierling. Scar tissue remodeling treatment is an area of specialty for him.

His approach to treating chronic pain is the result of his own experience. He said he developed severe elbow tendinosis in early 1996. It progressively worsened over the next several years until a colleague introduced him to a new form of scar tissue remodeling therapy. Schierling said, “I had been through lots of massage therapy, the only thing that helped, it just didn’t last, and I tried all sorts of physical therapy modalities such as electrical stimulation and ultra-sound. Over the years I used acupuncture, various types of chiropractic adjustments, numerous nutritional supplements, and about anything else that did not involve drugs or surgery. All this time the pain was progressing, and the dysfunction increasing. It finally got to where it hurt all night. Although it did not really affect my ability to adjust patients, I couldn't lift weights anymore or do anything else that required using grip strength like using a screwdriver or even picking up a jug of milk.”

Schierling said he didn't have any faith that the suggested treatment would help him. “I was skeptical. In the field of natural healing, there is always a 'new' thing, and most of them are here-today-gone-tomorrow, never quite living up to their hype. However, after receiving just one treatment I was amazed at the results. I knew within two days that something was dramatically different. Within one week, I was lifting weights again for the first time in three years. It seemed like it was nothing short of a miracle.”

He was convinced of its effectiveness and adopted the methods in his own practice. “We've been off and running ever since. In adjunct to that we do things like cold laser therapy and all kinds of neat stuff. What I really enjoy are testimonials from people who have suffered for many years, sometimes decades, and their lives are changed after treatment,” said Schierling. Multiple video testimonials and a host of other information is available on his website doctorschierling.com. Additional information about the practice can be found on the “Schierling Chiropractic, LLC” Facebook page.

For those who are experiencing chronic pain, Schierling encourages them to contact his office for an appointment. “If I think I can help you, I will do everything in my power to do it. If I think your problem may require a different approach and would be better served by someone else, I will also tell you that. The bottom line is it's all about you getting rid of your chronic pain and regaining your health. One of the things I do is look at every patient and treat them like I would my child or sibling, treat them like my own family,” he said.

BACKGROUNDSchierling attended Kansas State University in the mid 80s, studying in the dual-degree Corporate Fitness Program (Nutrition and Exercise Physiology). He said he didn't know anything about the chiropractic profession, but a severe powerlifting injury led him to seek chiropractic care after standard forms of medical treatment had failed. The treatment was a success. “And it wasn't just the fact it helped me get out of pain, but I had allergies to all kinds of things for years and nothing had helped them. After a few adjustments my allergies went away,” he said.

After deciding on a career in chiropractic, Schierling chose Logan College of Chiropractic in St. Louis, graduating in 1991. He said he fell in love with the Current River and the Ozark Mountains of rural southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. He moved to Mountain View and began his practice in early 1992. Schierling started out at in the old Liberty Bell apartment building across from Gas Plus in Mtn. View. He built his current clinic in 1996. He and his wife, Amy, have four children.

Schierling Chiropractic is located at 1219 S. State Rt. 17, Mtn. View, about a mile south of the airport, between the Kingdom Hall and Christian Church, across the street from A-1 Storage. Call 417-934-6337 for more information or to make an appointment. Regular office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, closed for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m.

After 22 years Schierling says he is as passionate about healing as ever. “We have a lot of fun here,” said Schierling. “Some people get up every day and don't look forward to going to work. I get up in the morning and say, 'I get to see patients today!'”

ADULT HEALTH PROBLEMSIN OUR NATION'S CHILDREN

(Joenomias) Menno de Jong - Nederland (Netherlands) - Pixabay

Lest you think that I am a lone voice who is sensationalizing a small problem, you need to read the brand new article from Time Magazine called Young Kids, Old Bodies. Although I cannot say that I was shocked, reading about the sheer magnitude and numbers of children dealing with diseases that have historically been thought of as adult diseases of lifestyle (DIABETES, HIGH CHOLESTEROL, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, OBESITY, many of the INFLAMMATORY or AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, etc, etc, etc), was frankly quite depressing. Especially knowing that as a nation, we are teetering on the brink of financial insolvency. My best guess is that our government (ACA) has underestimated future health costs by at least 10 times --- probably more.

The article in Time dealt extensively with the health problems that millions of school aged kids are going through, which are very different than what previous generations went through. Remember back when the worst health issue kids faced was acne (HERE)? Doctors who were interviewed for the article talked at length about the seriousness of this problem. One thing that really stood out to me was their saying they could not tell the blood work of unhealthy kids from the blood work of unhealthy adults who were 30 - 40 years older. I am not going to go into detail here, but it would be worth your time to take 10 or 15 minutes to read the article.

Over the years, I have made the case that if you think the health of our current senior citizens is bad, just wait until the younger generation gets a few more years on them. For the most part, our geriatric population grew up totally different than kids are growing up today. PROCESSED FOODS, SUGAR, SODA, TRANS FATS, genetically modified grains (HERE), and exposure to toxic elements (HERE) from an early age, have wreaked havoc on the health of our nation's under forty crowd --- particularly those under 20.

Honestly, the craziest part of the entire thing was not the kids. The truth is, if you leave children to their own devices, most will do exactly what they are currently doing --- sitting around, eating junk, and watching 8-10 hours of screens a day. No, the problem is not really the kids. The problem is the parents who are not doing something about this prior to the radical step of putting their kid(s) on the MEDICAL MERRY-GO-ROUND. The advice that I gave parents a couple of years ago, rings more true today than ever. "Seems like most of this stuff is just plain old common sense. Just take a deep breath and repeat after me, "I am the parent. I am the parent". Now, go make the changes that need to be made! The day will come that your children thank you for it. If they are little, they will never really know the difference" (from a 2012 post on ADHD).

Listen up folks. You are the parent. If you put any sort of value on your health or the health of your family, it may be time to go to lifestyle boot camp. Fail to change, and you will never be anything more to Big Pharma / Corporate Medicine than what you really are ---- a commodity ---- a walking, breathing, dollar sign ---- a person whose health issues are severe enough that you are looked at by multiple entities as a lifetime source of income. Start clicking the links and educate yourself. Knowledge is power. Learn what it will take to get your family moving in a healthy direction. No go and do it! HEALTHY CHILDREN can be a reality if you change the way you are living.

Oh; for those of you who were wondering, the pic at the top left is of a teenage male.

CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRY CONCERNING.......FEMALE VIAGRA?

"Trouble is, flibanserin has side effects that may outweigh its tepid benefits... The drug didn't boost women's desire any more than a placebo in two clinical trials."Deborah Kotz from the June 16, 2010 issue of U.S. News & World Report

"We don’t want attitudes to get in the way of a good drug."A recent statement made byTerry O’Neill, president of NOW.

"We do not believe there has been any gender bias with regard to our review of this drug." FDA Commissioner, Margaret A. Hamburg responding to accusations of sexism in drug approval

What is Flibanserin? Flibanserin was developed in the mid-later 1990's by German pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim as new type of ANTI-DEPRESSANT. When the drug proved worthless for helping people with DEPRESSION, the company saw a way to potentially salvage it's R&D costs by proceeding in a different direction --- female sexual enhancement (think of a female version of Viagra or Cialis here). When that didn't work out either (FDA denial), the rights to Flibanserin were sold to Raliegh, North Carolina's Sprout Pharmaceuticals, who has been working to get FDA approval ever since (14 recent clinical trials).

According to a 2002 study published in the summer edition of CNS Drug Review (Pharmacology of Flibanserin), Flibanserin works on both Serotonin and Dopamine receptors by increasing Dopamine and Noradrenaline (Norepinephrine) levels, while decreasing Serotonin levels). The paper went on to say that, "Flibanserin displays antidepressant-like activity in most animal models sensitive to antidepressants. Such activity, however, seems qualitatively different from that exerted by other antidepressants." The more recent studies have shown that despite the drug only increasing a woman's ability to have a "satisfying sexual event" by less than one time a month when compared to placebo (.8 to be exact), there are those within the halls of Congress claiming that the FDA is engaging in sexual discrimination with it's denial of this drug.

OK; where's the punch line? There isn't one. In response to rumblings from women's organizations such as the Jewish Women International, the National Council of Women’s Organizations, the Center for Health and Gender Equity, NOW (the National Organization of Women), and others, female members of congress (all democrats --- Chellie Pingree of Maine, Nita Lowey of New York, and Louise Slaughter of New York) led by Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida have taken issue with the fact that while there are over 20 FDA-approved drugs to treat MALE IMPOTENCE, there is nothing out there for women struggling with the female-equivalent ---- something called HSDD (Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder). A problem which, depending on whose research you think is most accurate, might affect anywhere from 10% - 35% of adult American females.

Mark my words, when this drug comes back up for review in a few months, it will be approved. The worst thing that could happen to a person, group, or organization here in America (FDA included), is to be branded as insensitive, intolerant, bigoted, prejudiced, sexist, or homophobic. Were there problems with the drug beyond the fact that it did not "perform" as hoped (no pun intended)? Yes; the drug has side effects (INSOMNIA, nausea, and drowsiness seem to be the biggest). In fact, the issue of sleepiness is large enough that there are currently studies underway to determine if the drug (which, unlike it's male counterparts such as Viagra, is to be taken daily) is safe to take if you drive.

I have a better idea. Why not learn about the underlying causes of both male and female SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION, and work at correcting them. That would seem to make much more sense than merely covering symptoms with a drug whose side effects will not really be known until it is on the market for several years (think Vioxx or Thalidomide here). But then again, history has shown us that making sense is something our government is rarely accused of.

WHY PALEO IS THE BEST DIET FORMOST CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS

Rita E - Deutschland - Pixabay

Start talking about politics,guns,religion, or rodent hunting, and people can get a bit worked up. The same thing could be said for diets. Many people have found a way of eating that they believe works for them, and don't want to hear about anything else. Great. If this is you, you can stop reading right now and go back to whatever you were doing. However, for many of you, the issue of what to eat is the elephant in the corner that spends its days taunting you. Although the Vegan crowd will vehemently disagree with me, if you have any sort of chronic health problem, any situation where chronic pain is an issue, or you struggle to get to or maintain a healthy weight, it might be in your best interest to take the few minutes and read this post. The number one reason that I recommend the PALEO DIETfor most people in these different boats is that it controls blood sugar like nothing else I've ever seen.

If you have spent significant time on my website, you may have picked up on the fact that most disease processes start with an inability of people to control their blood sugar ---- regardless of their readings. We shouldn't be surprised. Here in America, we are being buried underneath a mountain of SUGAR. When you spend as much time as I do combing through peer-reviewed literature, you start to see a pattern ---- almost every disease you can name has serious ties to UNCONTROLLED BLOOD SUGAR. This is true even for those who do not have full-blown Diabetes (HERE). The Paleo Diet is so effective because nothing is better at helping you control your blood sugar. But that's not all. The Paleo Diet cuts the most potentially reactive foods from your diet so that your Immune System cannot make antibodies against them.

The two most common foods that would fall into the "reactive" category are easy to name. Wheat (GLUTEN) and dairy. For many reasons (HERE are a few of them), today's foods (particularly true of with grains) are very different from the foods that were eaten by our great grandparents. Today, nearly everything is pasteurized, homogenized, GMO'ed, loaded with ANTIBIOTICS and HORMONES; and that's just for starters. The Blood Sugar / Gluten connection has been shown to be an important factor in virtually allAUTOIMMUNE DISEASES (HEREis a list), ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, PARKINSON'S DISEASE, NEUROPATHY, MIGRAINE HEADACHES, DEPRESSION, Seizures, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, and a host of other Neuro-degenerative Diseases. If you want to begin understanding how all of this works together, just take a moment to read THIS POST.

Another way that the Paleo Diet helps the three specific problems mentioned at the top of the page is that this diet does not feed the bacteria or viruses that are contributing to the acute illnesses that we treat with antibiotics (DYSBIOSIS). And in case you have not heard, chronic viral and / or bacterial infections are being touted as a causal factor in a wide variety of chronic disease processes. The Paleo Diet helps shut down Dysbiotic overgrowths of pathogenic bacteria, while providing a food source for the good bacteria. This is a much bigger deal than you might have realized. Not only is 80% of your entire Immune System found in the gut (HERE), it has many other functions as well (HERE). Lean more about GUT HEALTH and solving ﻿LEAKY GUT SYNDROME﻿ by following the links. But Paleo will do more than that.

Because the Paleo Diet is a vegetation-based diet, it has the ability to provide detox power to your system on a daily basis. The problems related to chemical toxicity as well as ESTROGEN DOMINANCE will be helped by a Paleo Diet just because it provides the raw materials to restore / refurbish the P-450 Cytochrome System (HERE). This is the way that your body gets rid of all chemicals, whether it is DRUGS (pushed or prescribed), Estrogen or synthetic estrogens, MSG, ASPARTAME, pesticides, herbicides, or heaven-only-knows what else.

The cool thing about the Paleo Diet is that it calms down and sometimes c _ _ _ _ (even if it does so, the FDA says that I could never use the word "cures" here) INFLAMMATORY PROCESSES that run rampant throughout the body. As I have contended before, I am not sure that one in a thousand people (many healthcare providers included) really understand what Inflammation is, or its widespread effects on health. Although things like Gluten, Uncontrolled Blood Sugar, TRANS FATS, and a whole host of others may get the credit, they do their dirty work via the process we call Inflammation. If you are chronically ill, chronically sick, or chronically OVERWEIGHT, you need to understand Inflammation.

I hear person after person tell me that they can't get healthy because they are too sick (or fat) to exercise. Forget the exercise for now. Health is probably at least 90% diet. Start eating the right way and watch your health dramatically improve --- even without exercise! If you want to get a better picture of the way that Gluten and Blood Sugar are related to sickness and disease in general, just follow THIS LINK.

DeQUERVAIN'S SYNDROMECAUSES AND SOLUTIONS

"The management of de Quervain’s disease is determined more by convention than scientific data. From the original description of the illness in 1895 until the first description of corticosteroid injection by Jarrod Ismond in 1955, it appears that the only treatment offered was surgery. Since approximately 1972 the prevailing opinion has been that of McKenzie who suggested that corticosteroid injection was the first line of treatment and surgery should be reserved for unsuccessful injections. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2013 found that corticosteroid injection seems to be an effective form of conservative management of de Quervain's syndrome in approximately 50% of patients, although more research is needed regarding the extent of any [long term] clinical benefits."- Wikipedia, quoting from half a dozen scientific studies (1955 to 2013) from peer-reviewed journals.

In order to have a "Syndrome" (or "Disease" as some prefer to call this particular problem --- yes, it is sometimes called "DeQuervain's Disease"), you must first have a well-delineated set of symptoms. The standard set of symptoms for DeQuervain's Syndrome are as follows:

Pain at the Thumb Side of the Wrist

Tenderness to the Touch in the Same Area

Swelling Over the Thumb Side of the Wrist

Difficulty Gripping Things or Opposing your Thumb (Pinching)

Interestingly enough, this problem is not thought of as a TENDINOSIS, even though, just like Tendinosis, it is not considered to be an "INFLAMMATORY" condition. Unfortunately, few doctors are aware of this. Case in point; DeQuervain's is referred to as a Tenosynovitis (an "itis" or Inflammation of the synovial sheath / membrane that surrounds the tendon). Notice the dichotomy here? Although the problem is not considered to be "Inflammatory", in much the same way that "TENDINITIS" is typically dealt with, it is named and treated as such.

Even more interesting is that the two forms of treatment that the peer-reviewed literature discuss the most for DeQuervain's Syndrome (CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS and Surgery) are not any too effective. Case in point: just re-read the quote at the top of the page. Likewise, the same scientific literature considers NSAIDS to be 'palliative' as opposed to therapeutic (they have the potential to help you feel better, but do nothing to actually help you get better). In looking at the studies concerning treatment for DeQuervin's Syndrome, you will see lists of other treatment methods (besides Corticosteroid Injections or Surgery) that one might use to deal this this problem, and call them "experimental" (COLD LASER THERAPY is on this list). But then again, what can you expect from EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE. As you may have noticed, drugs and surgery rule the day --- it's where the biggest money is. As we already learned from the quote at the top of the page; just like so many other health problems (HERE), treatment protocols are determined not by "scientific data" but instead by "convention" (tradition). GREAT RESULTS cannot be faked!

I would suggest that if you think you think you might have this problem, take a long look at my site's DeQUERVAIN'S SYNDROME PAGE. I promise that you'll learn far more than your doctor ever thought about telling you (including information on making the diagnosis yourself ---- it takes all of two seconds).

RIB PAIN / CHEST PAIN / RIB TISSUE PAIN

Wellcome Images V0047802

"Rib tissues can be injured in a variety of ways. Coughing and sneezing are a couple of common ones. Throwing is also a fairly common way to injure these tissues (especially throwing something really heavy like a chunk of firewood). As you can imagine, rib injuries are common in sports. Not only are they found in contact sports like football, but they are also found frequently in baseball, softball, and even golf (swinging a bat or golf club can tear rib tissues and put even the “heavy hitters” on the D.L.)." - Doctor Russell Schierling from Destroy Chronic Pain

If you have been following my piece-mealed series on the PROBLEMS WE SEE MOST FREQUENTLY here at Schierling Chiropractic, LLC, you are probably at least somewhat familiar with fascia (yesterday's post on SKULL PAIN was yet another example of a problem that is often Fascia-related). According to many experts, FASCIA is the single most pain-sensitive tissue in the body, and has the ability to cause multitudes of problems due to the fact it cannot be visualized with even the most technologically-advanced diagnostic imaging techniques (i.e. CT & MRI). As you might imagine, this is a snare that entangles millions of people in it's clutches ---- many of whom struggle with chronic, unrelenting rib pain (our RIB TISSUE PAIN PAGE is one of the top pages on our Destroy Chronic Pain website, with hundreds of comments). This is not difficult to understand in light of the amount of meat seen on the ribs above. Let me share a story with you.

About three years ago, Bryana was rock climbing and rappelling. She fell, swung outward, and crashed back into a hunk of rock jutting out from the face, hitting her chest / ribs in the process. Over the course of the past few years, Bryana has been through every test you can imagine (many of them multiple times) and seen a wide variety of specialists. When nothing showed up on tests, it was believed that her problem might be cardiac (despite the fact that she was barely out of junior high school). Yes, she was dragged through all sorts of cardiac tests, which were all negative.

CHRONIC RIB TISSUE PAIN: CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS

Although there are all sorts of reasons people end up with chronic, unrelenting rib pain, most can be solved with little fanfare. Am I simply blowing hot air making a statement like this? Watch the video above (or any number of others -- HERE) and judge for yourself. My goal with this post is to help you identify the source of your particular brand of rib pain, and put an end to it. Here are some of the more common causes of rib pain in no particular order.

INFLAMMATION: Any time you hear the word "itis" you need to realize that you are dealing with a physical problem based on INFLAMMATION. In fact, when it comes to causes of chronic rib pain, Inflammation is a common one. Take, for instance, Costochondritis. Costochondritis (costo / chondr / itis --- cost = ribs, chondro = cartilage, and itis = inflammation) would mean you are dealing with an inflammation of the rib cartilages --- an extremely painful and miserable condition. Other than the standard fare of NSAIDS, there a couple of extremely effective things you can do for this particular problem. The first is to DRAMATICALLY CHANGING YOUR DIET. The second would be LOW LEVEL LASER THERAPY.

DEPRESSION / STRESS / ANXIETY: I included this one simply because so many people with chest pain or pain in the area of the rib cage are told that their problem is stress. Don't get me wrong; I very much realize that stress can be a serious problem (HERE is a wild example). However, it can and frequently does become an easy scape-goat. The same thing can be said about DEPRESSION and anxiety, which are both considered to be "Inflammatory".

CARDIOVASCULAR PROBLEMS: This is one that cannot be discounted or overlooked. Having a diminished blood flow to the heart can cause chest pains in the form of angina or even a heart attack. Bear in mind that in many cases, Heart Attacks get undue credit for causing chest or rib pain (HEREis one such example).

RIB FRACTURES: If you are having spontaneous rib fractures from things like twisting or coughing, you have a serious issue on your hands in the form of OSTEOPOROSIS or a similar systemic disease process.

RIB SUBLUXATION:SUBLUXATION is the chiropractic term used to describe bones that are not completely dislocated, but are not lined up correctly in relationship to each other (understand that the medical community uses the terms subluxation and dislocation synonymously). Typically, if a rib is "out of place" you will have pain when you cough, sneeze, or breathe. Although rib problems are not 'dangerous' in the sense that a Herniated Disc can be, they can be exquisitely painful to the point of making you think you are dying.

TEARS OR ADHESIONS OF THE RIB FASCIA: Although this is not one you will find on the "Top Ten" lists of rib pain for popular medical sites like Web MD or Mayo Clinic, it is a major cause of rib or chest pain that can range from mild to SEVERE / DEBILITATING (click on link for a rib pain video from another young woman who was told her rib pain was cardiac-related).

Part of the problem is that most doctors don't really seem to grasp the importance of FASCIA or understand how it can so frequently wind up involved in various CHRONIC PAIN SYNDROMES. Throw in the fact that fascia is not easily imaged with MRI and you create the environment for unleashing CHRONIC PAIN'S "PERFECT STORM". Fortunately, our protocols for detecting and treating SCARED CONNECTIVE TISSUES are, in the majority of cases, quite effective at getting to the bottom of things, finding the causes of Chronic Pain, and dealing with them in a timely manner. To see how effective, take a look at some of our hundreds of VIDEO TESTIMONIALS.

HEADACHE OR SKULL PAIN...IS THERE REALLY A DIFFERENCE?

Momentmal Bernd - Volkmarsen Deutschland Nordhessen - Pixabay

Since I can remember, I would infrequently get these sensations in my head, painful, and the only way I can describe it is like a blood vessel has stretched and broken and hot liquid has poured out of the vessel. It would happen upon some kind of exertion. Now it happens more frequently and not necessarily with exertion. There is also pain on my scalp but seems like its under the scalp on top of the skull, and the pain is worse with pressure and seems tender. - Paula from MedHelp

I have a pain on my skull or scalp, which is slightly worse if pressure is applied. It is the same sensation that I used to get as a child when I had my hair pulled back into a pony tail, but I haven't worn my hair like that for about 15 years now. It's a patch on the top right of my skull/scalp. Does anyone have any idea what this is? - Franniesh from Wellshpere

Headaches. Anyone who has struggled through life trying to cope with CHRONIC HEADACHES knows how debilitating they can be. But what if for some of you your headaches were not really headaches at all? What if your pain were the result of issues with your skull --- or to put it more precisely, issues with the tissues that cover the skull? For some of you this is undoubtedly where your pain is coming from and why no one has been able to figure it out thus far. Much of this starts with a tissue called Fascia.

FASCIA is the thin, cellophane-like membrane that surrounds all muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and bones (it goes by different names depending on the tissue it surrounds). Part of what makes Fascia so unique is that it is not only the most abundant CONNECTIVE TISSUE in the body, it is arguably the single most pain-sensitive tissue in the body as well. Just like other soft tissues, Fascia has the potential to be injured and form MICROSCOPIC SCAR TISSUE. Add to this the fact that Fascia is so thin that it cannot be properly imaged with even the most technologically advanced imaging techniques (CT / MRI), and you can see the potential of being swept away by CHRONIC PAIN'S PERFECT STORM.

CUT-AWAY IMAGES OF THE HAIRLINE ON TOP OF THE SKULL

GALEA APONEUROTICA

Frank Gaillard

EPICRANIAL NEUROSIS

The arrows in the images are pointing to the Galea Aponeurotica, which is also known as the Epicranial Aponeurosis (the thin layer of Fascia that surrounds the skull). This is extremely pain-sensitive tissue and can become "TETHERED" when injured.

If you look at a picture of the skull (below or at the top right of the page), you should begin to notice just how much Fascia there really is on the skull (click on the image to see what I'm talking about --- the white is all Fascia). Sometimes you'll see this Fascia on the top of the skull referred to as an Aponeurosis, which is technically a flattened out TENDON. The name for this particular APONEUROSIS / APONEUROTICA is either "Epicranial" or "Galea", depending on whose anatomy atlas you are reading. Let me tell you about the relationship between the Epicranial Aponeurosis and Skull Pain in one such individual, as well as a couple of the crazy places it has taken him.

"Joe" (name changed to protect the innocent) emailed me a couple of months ago after reading the SKULL PAIN PAGE on our 'Destroy Chronic Pain' website. Like most of the people we see with 'Skull Pain,' Joe's description of his pain was somewhat odd. In fact, I included the descriptions of 'Skull Pain' at the top of the page not only to show you this phenomenon, but also to show you that the best I could find as far as an online description of this problem was people looking for answers on various "someone-please-help-me-diagnose-my-problem" websites. Joe had been through much of the same junk that lots of patients I see had been through.

While in his early teen years, he developed "Skull Pain" a few months after a fairly serious injury to his face (a broken zygomatic arch) and subsequent surgery. Over the course of 5 years, Joe had been to all sorts of doctors (many psychiatrists and neurologists), a plethora of tests, and taken a large array of drugs --- many being "psych" drugs and meds from THE BIG FIVE. He even ended up working on a farm for 6 months as part of a program developed to help people thought to be dealing with Psycho-Somatic illnesses (i.e. --- problems that the experts believe are all in their head). Finally, another neurologist ran a SPECT SCAN and told the family that Joe had no signs of mental illness or organic disease process in his brain --- something he had been trying to convince them of for years.

I told Joe that while ONE TREATMENT would probably not be enough to completely solve his problem, he would know whether or not our approach would help him. He had Fascial Adhesions all over his head, neck, and face that were so bad, you could hear them 'CREAKING' as he moved. I broke the adhesions (different than craniosacral techniques), and the difference was immediate and significant (I will warn you that he looked like he had been at least a couple rounds with Mike Tyson --- HERE). I received this email a few days later.

Dr. Schierling, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help with this. For all the things I've tried over the past 5 years, this is the only thing that has helped -- so it gives me a hope that I did not have before. I do feel different after the work you did. I can't say it is 100% gone, but the fact that it is improved is all I've been looking for. Thank you again and I will let you know how things go.

Joe

A few days later I got this message from Joe's mom (Joe, a college student living at home, had not told his folks he was flying out to see me --- something I was unaware of as well).

"Dear Dr. Schierling, I wanted to thank you for helping my son 'Joe'. In the past few years Joe had seen numerous doctors, had several brain scans and was given all types of medications. We spent thousands and thousands of dollars, all this to try to find some relief, yet nothing seemed to help him. He planned his trip without me knowing, and called me after he returned to tell me all about it. He spoke so highly of you. He said you were the only doctor that really understood him. He found relief with your treatment. Thank you for giving him hope and for being so kind. I hope he will be able to visit you again soon. With warm regards, Joe's Mom."

I can't remember if I saw Joe one more time or two, but regardless, as I was working early as is my habit (I'm usually writing / studying by 4:00 am, before starting with patients at 8:30); as the sun started coming up I noticed a car in the parking lot, with someone asleep behind the wheel.

DOES MAMMOGRAPHY SAVE LIVES?LET'S LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE

FALSE POSITIVE: Tests that that show you have a certain disease or health problem, even though you do not have said disease or problem (or the problem is so non-invasive that it would never be an issue in your natural lifetime).FALSE NEGATIVE: A test that fails to pick up the fact that you actually do have a certain disease or problem.OVERDIAGNOSIS: Usually based on incorrect presumptions or "False Positive" tests. You are officially diagnosed with a disease or health problem you either do not have or is not aggressive enough to ever progress to overt symptoms.OVERTREATMENT: Based on "Overdiagnosis". You are now actually treated for a disease or health problem you do not have or will never become a problem in your natural lifetime.DEATH: The latest studies on this topic as it pertains to Breast Cancer and Mammograms are revealing that women who get regular mammograms have no less chance (some say they increase your chances) of dying of Breast Cancer than women who get no mammograms at all.

"Even with a specificity of 90%, most abnormal mammograms are false-positives. .....most of those cancers would probably not result in illness or death. Treatment of these cancers would constitute overtreatment. The magnitude of overdiagnosis due to mammographic screening is controversial, with estimates ranging from 0% to 54%.... It may be estimated that [due to excessive amounts of radiation] up to one breast cancer may be induced per 1,000 women aged 40 to 80 years undergoing annual mammograms." - From the National Institutes of Health's (National Cancer Institute) guidelines.

"In September 2010, the New England Journal of Medicine, one of the most prestigious medical journals, published the first study in years to examine the effectiveness of mammograms. Their findings are a far cry from what most public health officials would have you believe. The bottom line is that mammograms seem to have reduced cancer death rates by only 0.4 deaths per 1,000 women --- an amount so small it might as well be zero. Put another way, 2,500 women would have to be screened over 10 years for a single breast cancer death to be avoided."-Dr. Joseph Mercola

"This latest publication is just a longer-term follow-up of a study that was completed over a decade ago, so the fact that they did not find a benefit from mammograms is not new."- Richard Wender, MD: Professor and Chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

A myth is defined as "an idea or story that is believed by many people but that is not true". A sacred cow is, "someone or something that has been accepted or respected for a long time, and that people are afraid or unwilling to criticize or question". Believe me when I tell you that there's a whole herd of myths and sacred cows running wild in the Medical Community. Tackling them is not always easy; and as crazy as it may seem, can be painfully controversial. Some of these scared cows include things like....

OSTEOPOROSIS DRUGS PREVENT FRACTURES:The truth is, Osteoporosis Drugs cause fractures. I have been warning people of this fact for over a decade (HERE). Fortunately, the powers that be are starting to admit this on a small level.

HIGH CHOLESTEROL IS THE CHIEF CAUSE OF HEART ATTACKS: The underlying culprit in the vast majority of Heart Disease is INFLAMMATION and not CHOLESTEROL. This is one of the reasons why you do not want to be on STATIN DRUGS.

DOCTORS DON'T PERFORM TESTS OR PRESCRIBE DRUGS THAT YOU DON'T ACTUALLY NEED: Really? Although I could show you dozens upon dozens of examples, just look at these two topics and try and convince me otherwise (HERE & HERE).

AS LONG AS I DON'T HAVE DIABETES, MY BLOOD SUGAR IS FINE:HERE and HERE are solid proof that "Uncontrolled Blood Sugar" (even if your numbers are in the 'normal' range) is one of our nation's foundational health problems.

ANTI-DEPRESSION DRUGS ARE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE: Because so many of you reading this post are on ANTI-DEPRESSION DRUGS, it would behoove you to click on the link and spend just a little bit of time reading before accusing me of speaking out of turn.

ANNUAL PHYSICALS ARE A CRITICAL PART OF GOOD HEALTH: This is simply not true. Why not? Because of something you are going to learn a great deal about today ---- way too much over-treatment due to "False Positives". More on this topic to come.

EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE IS A WONDERFUL WAY TO PRACTICE MEDICINE:EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE is the way doctors are currently forced to practice medicine by our bureaucracy-loving government. If you believe that this is improving your quality of care, you may want to click on the link.

Here's the thing folks; I could have included dozens of other examples of medical myths and sacred cows. If you want to read more about them, they're all over my site. But time is short. We need to get back to our question at hand. Is mammography a life saving diagnostic tool that leads to early detection of BREAST CANCER, and ultimately saves women's lives, or is it not? Let's cut straight to the chase.

BruceBlaus

A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast used to detect tumors earlier than they would otherwise be detected through things like physician breast examinations. For years, there have been people raising a red flag concerning our nation's extensive use and recommendations for mammography. In fact, worries about lifetime radiation exposure and "False Positives" have led to some recent changes in the way mammograms are to be used to screen for Breast Cancer. According to the the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (The USPSTF --- a group of experts meeting under the umbrella of the Department of Health and Human Services)..........

Routine mammograms should begin at age 50 instead of 40. They should also end at age 74.

Women should receive a mammogram every other year instead of every year.

Based on the most current peer-reviewed scientific literature, self-examination of the breasts (something that has been heavily promoted for decades) has little or no value.

Wow! Self-breast exams have, "little or no value". How can that be? These sacred cows hurt when they step on your toes. The biggest reason for the failures of self-breast exams and regular mammography screenings has to do with something called "False Positives". Let's take a couple of minutes to unwrap this terminology and figure out why mammograms aren't what we've been led to believe they are, and why several recent studies actually show higher death rates for women who follow routine mammography schedules as opposed to women who don't get mammography at all.

According to a study published in this month's issue of BMJ (The British Medical Journal), Canadian researchers who started following a group of almost 90,000 women 25 years ago have come to some interesting conclusions concerning mammography and Breast Cancer. The women were divided into two groups ---- those who had annual mammography and those who had no mammography at all. Listen to the author's conclusions at the end of the 25 years. "Annual mammography in women aged 40-59 does not reduce mortality from breast cancer beyond that of physical examination or usual care when adjuvant therapy [chemo / radiation] for breast cancer is freely available. Overall, 22% (106/484) of screen detected invasive breast cancers were over-diagnosed...." The study's lead author, Dr. Anthony B. Miller (M.D.), Professor Emeritus of the University of Toronto's School of Public Health clarified what they meant by going on to say that, "At the end of the screening period, an excess of 142 breast cancers occurred in the mammography arm compared with the control arm.... This implies that 22% (106 of 484) of the screen-detected cancers in the mammography arm were overdiagnosed".

In simple English, this means that 22% of those diagnosed with CANCER did not actually have Cancer. I would assume that most, if not all of these women then fell into the category of "Overtreated" In fact, there were researchers from around the world (Dr. Mette Kalager, MD, of the University of Oslo in Norway was one of the most renowned) who looked at the study and said that since the type of Breast Cancer called "ductal carcinoma in situ" that accounts for 25% of all Breast Cancers was not included in the study, the numbers would actually be worse than Miller's group determined --- significantly worse. Gulp. Dr. Kalager's team published an editorial in the same issue of BMJ titled, "Too Much Mammography". But not everyone agreed with these findings.

Two doctor's groups lost their collective minds over Miller's study --- The American College of Radiology (ACR) and the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI). They issued a joint statement accusing Miller and his colleagues of all sorts of underhanded and dirty tricks, as well as using shoddy research techniques and outdated equipment. In a statement issued by Miller that addressed every issue brought up by these two groups, he said that his team's study was undoubtedly "unwelcome to this highly financially conflicted group, but which will be of substantial interest to policy makers in considering the future of screening for breast cancer." Wow! Financial conflict-of-interest in medicine? You don't say. If you have a couple of minutes sometime, breeze through a few of our numerous articles on EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE to get a small taste of what Miller is up against as he takes on this sacred cow. The crazy thing about this research is that like Dr. Wender told us at the very top of the page, it's not really new information.

The November, 2012 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine published a study called, "Effects of Three Decades of Screening Mammography on Breast-Cancer Incidence". What were the conclusions of this thirty year study that looked crunched governmental statistics for the entire United States? Are you sitting down? The authors stated that, "we estimated that breast cancer was overdiagnosed (i.e., tumors were detected on screening that would never have led to clinical symptoms) in 1.3 million U.S. women in the past 30 years. We estimated that in 2008 alone, breast cancer was overdiagnosed in more than 70,000 women; this accounted for 31% of all breast cancers diagnosed. Despite substantial increases in the number of cases of early-stage breast cancer detected, screening mammography has only marginally reduced the rate at which women present with advanced cancer. Although it is not certain which women have been affected, the imbalance suggests that there is substantial overdiagnosis, accounting for nearly a third of all newly diagnosed breast cancers, and that screening is having, at best, only a small effect on the rate of death from breast cancer."

If you get out your calculator and do the math, this study showed a whopping 93% "False Positive" rate. Re-read that and let the magnitude of what it is implying about our current model of diagnosing and treating Breast Cancer sink in for a moment. And the final bite-in-the-butt for those of you keeping score at home is that they did not even include the Breast Cancers that were thought to have been caused by the ongoing HRT (Hormonal Replacement Therapy) fiasco (HERE), which would have made the numbers even worse. But that's not all. This study only dealt with False Positives. What about the "False Negatives"? Listen to what our government's NIH website has to say on this topic. "Assuming an average sensitivity of 80%, mammograms will miss approximately 20% of the breast cancers that are present at the time of screening (false-negatives)". 93% False Positives plus 20% False Negatives adds up to 113% --- an impossibility. Let's just say that the False Positives are over 50% (the government admitted in the quote from the very top of the post that, "most abnormal mammograms are false-positives"). Throw in the False Negatives and the absolute best you could hope for was 30% accuracy. Could be why recent studies are leading some doctors to conclude that women who get regular mammograms have a better chance of dying of Breast Cancer than those who do not get mammograms at all.

A recent book by Peter Gøtzsche (Mammography Screening: Truth, Lies, and Controversy) goes on to cite incidence after incidence after incidence of this phenomenon. And just like I told you would happen when ANNUAL PHYSICALS showed the same problem (colossal numbers of False Positives), the medical community howled. False Positives are exactly as the name implies, diagnostic test results that come back positive when they really are not. In other words, the test says you have Cancer, and either you don't have Cancer, or you have a slow-growing non-invasive form of cancer that would never present a problem in your natural lifetime. The same phenomenon of False Positives is why regular PROSTATE CANCER SCREENINGS were deep-sixed several years ago (I have always thought that a "False Positive" test ultimately killed a dear neighbor of ours (HERE). Having spoken with several MD's about this issue of False Positives, I can assure you that the problem is real and it is serious.

Patients who are not aware of this information are sitting ducks to be cajoled into doing things they do not want to do (I spoke of the same thing going on with appendicitis in THISrecent post on CT Scans --- a scenario that happened to our family three years ago). I have included a sample conversation from the average doctor's office to help you understand the situation.PATIENT:But doctor Smith, I really don't want to have that mammogram. I read on the internet that they aren't all they've been cracked up to be.DR. SMITH:I'm sorry Mrs. Jones, but if you don't agree to get the test, you'll have to find another doctor. And really; you should stop putting so much faith in articles you find on the internet. You know you can't trust any of that stuff anyway. Especially if it comes from Dr. Schierling's site. Trust me instead. I'm a doctor. This scenario is playing out all over the United States. The bottom line is that if you are a female who is concerned about Breast Cancer, whether for yourself, your daughters, or grand-daughters, you need to educate yourself. In my humble opinion, the best thing you can do is to stop the process before it starts ---- after all, this is what the word "Prevention" really means.

How do you prevent Breast Cancer? You would prevent it the same way you would try to prevent any Cancer --- or for that matter, practically any disease period (HERE). One of the very first things you need to do is to understand the relationship between Estrogen and Female Cancers. From there you can begin learning about something called "ESTROGEN DOMINANCE". Another important step in this puzzle would be figuring out how to resolve Estrogen Dominance before it begins fueling cellular mutations of the breast (HERE). As always, never take my word for anything. The internet has placed huge amounts of valuable information at your finger tips. Like I stated earlier, knowledge is power. Empower yourself and your family by learning more about Breast Cancer and the ways to stop it dead in its tracks before it ever has a chance to gain a hold in your life.

VIDEO TESTIMONIALS FROM EMPLOYEES(CHRONIC NECK PAIN)

I have always thought that anecdotal evidence (subjective findings in the form of testimonials) was a much better way of 'proving' what I do, than things like Visual Analog Scales or Oswestries (EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE). In fact, I liked this idea so much that a little over two years ago we started doing VIDEO TESTIMONIALS(and HERE) to document the changes that were being made on a day-to-day basis here at Schierling Chiropractic, LLC. The thought recently struck me that I should get videos from Tracy and Sara.

Tracy started working for me almost five years ago, and Sara filled in for a few months while Tracy was on maternity leave. Rather than me tell you about their experiences, I'll let you hear it straight from their mouths. The really cool thing about these videos is that while they both come from individuals who either work or have worked for me, they also happen to be from individuals who, previous to their employment, were driven to the clinic by CHRONIC NECK PAIN due to severe FASCIAL ADHESIONS of the cervical spine (neck).

TRACY: CHRONIC NECK PAIN & HEADACHES

SARA: CHRONIC NECK PAIN

INFLAMMATIONPUTTING OUT THE FIRE IN YOUR BODY

Myriams-Fotos - Deutsch - Pixabay

It's one thing to put out a house fire or a burning barn. If you can't get the fire put out via conventional means (usually dousing them with water), they'll eventually run out of fuel and burn themselves out. But what about a fire that has a perpetual fuel source ---- a fire that burns and burns and burns and burns? You have to find a way to remove the source of fuel from the fire, because no matter how much you douse it, you'll never get it put out. The same scenario occurs in your body in the form of something called Inflammation. Unfortunately, I don't find very many people (maybe 1 in a 1,000) who really understand what Inflammation does, what it is, where it comes from, what drives it, or the ugly 'whole body' consequences of letting it burn like a wildfire through your body.

INFLAMMATION is the name doctors have given a group of chemical compounds made by your own Immune System. That's right. Inflammation is made by your own body and part of a normal healing process, allowing for intercellular communication. The problems occur when we get too many of these chemicals coursing through the blood stream and spreading throughout the entire body at one time (HERE). This is because the biggest portion of disease processes known to man (Chronic Inflammatory Degenerative Diseases --- by far the largest disease category on the planet) are the direct result of inflammatory processes. Some of these include LEAKY GUT SYNDROME, DIABETES, CANCER, OBESITY, Heart Disease and HIGH CHOLESTEROL, ARTHRITIS, ALZHEIMER'S, GLUTEN SENSITIVITY, ALLERGIES, most AUTOIMMUNE & ENDOCRINE DISEASES, and even DISC HERNIATIONS. And this doesn't even begin to address all of the diseases that either have "itis" in their name (itis is Latin for inflammation) or the term being used outright, as in the case of INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE. The truth is, I'm just getting warmed up as the list is limitless. As always, the real question is how can it effectively be dealt with?

How do doctors go about treating Inflammation or inflammatory problems / diseases? Mostly they prescribe drugs that cover the symptoms without addressing the underlying cause(s) of those symptoms (inflammation). Very often, the drugs that are used are chosen for their anti-inflammatory effects. If you know anything about this class of drugs, you realize that it can be problematic, with numerous serious side effects (HERE). But what other problems do these drugs present as far as dealing with Chronic Inflammatory Degenerative Diseases are concerned? I'm glad you asked.

WHAT IT TAKES TO SQUELCH THE FIRE

Beyond the obvious side effects seen in the previous link, there is another serious drawback to using drugs as your main defense against inflammation. Remember our opening paragraph about the fact that effective firefighting involves removing the fuel source? This is true when talking about inflammation as well. You can take anti-inflammation drugs til the cows come home (and sometimes they may even reduce your symptoms), but if you do not figure out a way to remove the source of the inflammation, ultimately you are spinning your wheels. This is not only true of drugs, but true of anti-inflammatory supplements as well (HERE and HERE are great ones).

All of this begs the question of how to best go about removing (or at least reducing) excess inflammation from our bodies? True reduction of inflammation and inflammatory processes in your body is not something your doctor can do for you. It's something you are going to have to do on your own. I've broken it down for you into a few easy-to-understand steps; steps that if you follow, you could very well see a huge reduction of your symptoms ---- even if you are dealing with the dreaded MUPS.

CHANGE YOUR DIET / CONTROL BLOOD SUGAR: You knew it was coming and probably suspected it would be at the top of the list. You were right. Failure to strictly regulate your blood sugar can set off a cascade of health-related problems --- even if you are not yet "officially" Diabetic (HERE). On top of that, you may need to go GLUTEN FREE as well as figuring out it there are foods you might be eating that are driving inflammation (just click the link). If you really want to begin understanding how and what you should be eating, read THESE POSTS.

DRINK MORE WATER AND DRINK ONLY WATER:WATERwill help you put out the fire. I am not opposed to you making an anti-inflammatory tea to drink either. This could be a Green Tea base, with lemon, CINNAMON, Turmeric, Circumin, Ginger, etc, etc, in it. Whatever you do, stay away from the soda --- And please don't be fooled by DIET SODA.

EAT YOUR VEGGIES: If you spend any amount of time on this site, you'll never mistake me for a vegetarian / vegan (HERE). However, your diet should be based on vegetation. In fact, Dr. David Seaman's RULE OF THUMB as far as reducing inflammation is, "Eat vegetation or animals that ate vegetation". It is important to remember that grain is not vegetation. And finally, remember that even though we talk about FRUITS & VEGETABLES, these should never be used synonymously.

GET SOME EXERCISE EACH AND EVERY DAY: I get it. There are a few of you reading this post who, for whatever reason, cannot exercise. Key word here; "few". Find something you can do and do it. HERE are some posts you should read prior to getting started. If you've been injured or are struggling with Chronic Pain, THIS POST will have some ideas for you.

REDUCE STRESS:Some of the bullet points on this list would count as stress reduction. Stress creates ADRENAL FATIGUE, which in and of itself can produce Chronic Pain and weight gain --- both signs of Inflammation. It also leads to a situation known widely as SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE, where the fight-or-flight adrenaline-producing part of your ANS (autonomic nervous system) gets turned up way too high.

HAVE MORE SEX: It seems that every statistic I see on sexual frequency of married couples is worse (that would be lower) than the one before it. A bit over a decade ago, married couples were intimate on average 132 times per year. Three years ago that number had dropped by about 20%. The latest study I saw was saying it's now 85 times per year. With the collective health of our nation being what it is, I'm not surprised. If you are having problems in this area (or simply wanting to improve things), take a few minutes to read THESE POSTS.

CLEAR YOUR BODY OF TOXINS: Toxicity comes in many forms, including ESTROGEN, CHEMICALS, METALS, HERBICIDES, MEDICATIONS, etc, etc. Learn what it takes to get this junk out of your body and then do it (HERE). And for those who are interested in an extremely simple and totally free way to both alkalize your body and help rid it of cancer-causing free radicals, take a look at THIS POST.

UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF GUT HEALTH: 80% of your entire Immune System is found in your digestive tract (HERE). Inflammation is an Immune System response. Until you grasp the significance of the old saying, "heal the gut, heal the body," solving your health issues could prove elusive (HERE). I would suggest that many of you will need to address CHRONIC INFECTIONS, including those being caused by your DENTAL WORK.

MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT: Unless you have some sort of underlying disease process such as a THYROID PROBLEM, ANEMIA, or others, this one will take care of itself if you follow the points in this list. If you are doing all the right things and cannot lose weight, there is something being missed.

For a much more comprehensive on solving your own health issues, make sure to take a look at THIS POST. I would never suggest that it is the solution to everything. However, it has some cool ideas and should provide you a starting point.

Dr. Schierling completed four years of Kansas State University's five-year Nutrition / Exercise Physiology Program before deciding on a career in Chiropractic. He graduated from Logan Chiropractic College in 1991, and has run a busy clinic in Mountain View, Missouri ever since. He and his wife Amy have four children (three daughters and a son).